1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to card games. More particularly, the invention relates to Double Hand card games.
2. Description of Related Art
Double Hand, also commonly known as Pai Gow Poker or Asian Poker, is typically played in a casino or a card club environment. The game was originally based on Chinese Dominoes or Pai Gow. In the card game, a 53-card deck is used consisting of a 52-card standard deck and one Joker card. The game may be played by up to six players and one banker. The dealer, in a casino game, is commonly the banker, whereas in a card club, a player is commonly the banker. As used herein, the dealer is also the banker unless noted otherwise.
A wager is made before cards are dealt. Each player is then dealt a total of 7 cards. The players and the dealer use the dealt cards to form a 5-card high hand (High Hand) and a 2-card low hand (Low Hand). The High Hand is based on typical Poker rankings and the Low Hand is based on pairs and high cards, where the Low Hand is required to be lower in rank than the High Hand. The Joker can be used to improve a hand in a variety of ways, particularly to form a Straight Flush, a Flush, a Straight, or used Is an Ace. The High and Low Hands of each player are then compared with the respective hands of the dealer. Typically, a player wins the wager if both their High and Low Hands are better (higher), in rank, than that of the dealer's respective hands; a player loses the wager if both their High and Low hands are less, in rank, than that of the dealer's respective hands; and if one player hand is better, but the other is less, a tie (known as push) occurs.
The house advantage is generated in two manners. Firstly, a commission based on a percentage (typically 5%) of the winnings is paid on all winning hands. Secondly, the house wins all Copy Hands (i.e., when the player's High or Low Hand is of an equal rank with that of the dealer's respective hand). As such, a player loses with a Copy Hand and a lower ranked other hand and a push occurs when a player has a Copy Hand and a higher ranked other hand.
Although Double Hand is growing significantly, certain rituals and practices of the game have notable drawbacks. One significant drawback is the slow pace of the game. For example, dealers are not permitted to deal cards just to actual players in a regular rotation. Rather, dealers are required to deal all six 7-card hands in every game, regardless of the actual number of players. Another time consuming procedure of the game is that dealers are required to distribute cards by random selection of first player by using dice or an illuminated display from 1 to 6 set into the table to preclude dealers from steering the Joker to a particular player in collusion. In other words, the Joker aspect of the game is detrimental to a fast dealing pace, as casinos need to ensure that the Joker is not manipulated to a specific player. An additional time consuming aspect of the game is the calculation and deduction of the commission on winning wagers, which are not balanced by the much quicker Copy Hand settlement because the incidence of Copy Hands tends to be low. Furthermore, since the game is limited to six players, seven player casino tables are underutilized.